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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24082456">Out of the Ordinary</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTaliMagpie/pseuds/LittleTaliMagpie'>LittleTaliMagpie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ghost Hunters AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Established Relationship, Evil Spirit, Ghost Osamu, M/M, Possession, Reconciliation, Sensitive Hikari, Sensitive Ken, Skeptic Iori, Skeptic Miyako, Tech Guy Daisuke, Tech Guy Takeru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:27:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24082456</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTaliMagpie/pseuds/LittleTaliMagpie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>From the very beginning, Ken had known that this investigation would be different. From the moment he'd looked up at the location.</p><p>Things turn out a little more exceptional than he ever could have guessed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ghost Hunters AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Daiken Discord Server</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Guardian Angel?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey, it's ya girl, back at it again with another AU.</p><p>Been working on this for a few days now, gonna post it in little chapters. They'll vary in length just cause some things shouldn't be dragged out or they'll get boring. Idk how regularly I'll update this, it's been running away from me lmao. Most of it was actually unplanned, I had the most basic outline ever and the characters decided to take me on a joyride, rip</p><p>Sensitive here is specifically talking about being sensitive to the supernatural. I felt like psychic wasn't quite right so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p><p>Enjoy~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ken rubbed his arm nervously, the hairs raising in spite of the warm evening. A little voice in the back of his mind was whispering that something was <em> off </em> this time. And it probably wasn’t that he was staring up at Tamachi T.M. Mansion, his childhood apartment building.</p><p> </p><p>“You feel it too, right?” A soft voice asked. Ken glanced over at Hikari, their other sensitive, and nodded. It must be worse than he thought if Hikari was mentioning it. The only other time he remembered her speaking up about her uneasiness had been that disastrous episode in the forest. Ken was always grateful that the attachment had been successfully dissolved; he wasn’t sure how Iori remained skeptical after that one.</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, it’s just an apartment building.” Miyako huffed, twirling a lock of hair. “Daisuke and Takeru-<em>kun </em> haven’t even reported anything bad or weird yet. What’s got you so nervous?”</p><p> </p><p>Ken frowned, deflecting the question with one of his own. “Do we know who made the tip?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, they gave it anonymously,” Iori stated. “Why are you avoiding Miyako-<em>san </em>’s question?”</p><p> </p><p>Ken was about to respond when another, stronger shiver ran up his spine. Following his instincts, he radioed their tech guys. “Everything okay in there?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Everything’s fine here,</em>” Takeru replied. “<em>Daisuke-kun? </em>” No response. “<em>Hello? Daisuke-kun? </em>” Still nothing. The silence grated on Ken’s already-heightened nerves and he shakily raised the radio to his lips again.</p><p> </p><p>“... Daisuke? Please respond.” Ken fought to keep the tremor from his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I’m good,</em>” Ken was almost relieved until Daisuke continued speaking. “<em>I thought I saw someone go into one of the apartments. Everyone knows they gotta stay inside, right? </em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, they’ve all been informed as such. Did you get the figure on film?” Iori asked. “If so, we may be able to identify who it was.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Uh, maybe? I’d just finished setting the camera up and saw ‘em in the viewfinder.</em>” Daisuke answered. “<em>I can go knock and see…</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s pretty late, they may be sleeping.” Ken reminded him. Forcing a casual tone, he asked, “Out of curiosity, what number was the apartment?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Uh, one sec… It’s… 303.</em>” Ken felt like he’d been dunked in ice water, sucking in a sharp breath. “<em>Ken? What’s wrong? </em>” Ken couldn’t reply, hand trembling even more. </p><p> </p><p>When Daisuke asked again, more worriedly, Ken cleared his throat. “It can wait until later, just finish setting up and get back out here.” He could feel the others exchanging concerned looks but didn’t say anything. Daisuke and Takeru gave their affirmative answers, and within ten minutes they were walking back out to the van they were using as a makeshift command centre. </p><p> </p><p>“We all set?” Hikari asked. After a thumbs up from Daisuke and a nod from Takeru, she flicked through the information they had stored on an iPad. “So, this is Tamachi T.M. Mansion. There’ve been reports of hauntings for at least fifteen years. Some mention an angry man who pushes women down the stairs, tugs their hair, knocks groceries out of their hands. That last one happens mostly during the day time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, potential demon?” Takeru mused. Ken stared at the iPad in Hikari's hands, vaguely remembered his mother complaining of her hair being pulled near the stairwell when he was younger. It had stopped when he was eight. In fact, it had stopped right after-</p><p> </p><p>He was jolted from that train of thought by Hikari’s hand on his arm. “Ken-<em>kun </em>?” Blinking, he looked up at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you not hear what we just said?” Iori asked, unimpressed.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, I guess I’m just… really affected by this place.” He shrugged. Iori tutted softly, but Hikari elbowed him and offered Ken a kind smile.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll just repeat it, it’s fine.” Scrolling on the iPad, she read through the report again. “There were also some who mentioned a young business man who died of overworking a few years back, a young woman who jumped from her balcony and fell to her death and… a young boy who was killed in a car accident.” She looked up here, face becoming concerned. “...Are you sure you’re okay, Ken-<em>kun </em>?” Sometimes, her intuition was spooky.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you look super pale. More than usual, I mean.” Daisuke piped up, frowning. Either Daisuke was in one of his perceptive moods or Ken was being very obvious right now. Ken took a shuddering breath and forced a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Just weirded out by the energy of this place. Might be the demon.” Ken brushed his bangs back, and turned back to Hikari. “Is that everything?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, that’s all the reports. Shall we get going?” It seemed like she knew something more, her gaze piercing in its intensity as she stared at Ken. Shoulders hunching slightly, he turned to see Takeru was lifting one of the cameras onto his shoulder. He adjusted the infrared light and focused it in on Miyako, who was tugging at her sleeve. Ken headed back to the van to see Daisuke watching the tapes, eyes narrowed slightly. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re not going in?” Ken asked. Pausing the payback, Daisuke glanced at him and motioned him over. Ken squeezed his way through the equipment, settling beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“Wanted to check the tapes, see if I did catch that figure.” He explained.</p><p> </p><p>“We can do that in the post-investigation evidence gathering.” Ken said. Daisuke shook his head. “What’s got you so interested?”</p><p> </p><p>“Even if the camera didn’t see it, I got a good look at it. It was-” he started, lunging forward to pause the tapes. “There! Can you see?” Ken leaned in, squinting.</p><p> </p><p>And immediately lurched back, eyes widening.</p><p> </p><p>“It can’t be…” he whispered, frozen as the image of a small shadow with spiked hair stared him in the face. Shaking his head slowly, he turned to leave when Daisuke caught his wrist.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on? I’m getting really worried.” He lowered his voice. “You brought me here once to see your parents. This is where you lived as a kid, right?” <em> He remembers that? </em></p><p> </p><p>“Umm, yeah. My parents still live here. Why?” He couldn’t help but feel nervous, like he was being interrogated. Daisuke didn’t respond, gears in his head almost visibly turning.</p><p> </p><p>“...We should get going. Miyako’s probably finished her spiel by now.” Stopping the playback, he gently pushed Ken out of the van. “Yo, Takeru! You watch the cams this time, I did it last time.” Takeru whined in protest but Daisuke was already reaching for the camera and none of them wanted <em> another </em> expensive casualty. Once Daisuke had the camera safely on his shoulder, he gave them all a thumbs up.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s get going!” Miyako cheered, whirling and leading the charge into the building. They all followed and immediately upon entering, both Ken’s and Hikari’s shoulders visibly rose. The atmosphere was thick, weighing down on them, and Ken couldn’t suppress a very violent shiver.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t like this…” Hikari muttered, arms wrapped around her stomach. </p><p> </p><p>Ken nodded in agreement. “Yeah, feels really bad…” He rubbed his arm, gaze flicking around. The entrance was both familiar and different, the posters updated and more plants dotted around. Iori wandered over to the post boxes.</p><p> </p><p>“What number did that figure go into again, Daisuke-<em>san </em>?” He asked absently. Daisuke stiffened, gaze flickering to Ken. Ken went over to stand next to him, finger trailing along his family’s nameplate. Iori was watching him, he could feel it, but he just traced the kanji, lost in thought. A hand on his arm brought him out of his reverie and he looked to see Daisuke frowning at him. </p><p> </p><p>Ken smiled tightly. “Third floor, right?” he asked him.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah… You sure you’re okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be fine. This place is just… It has a really bad feeling to it.” He replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I hate the energy here.” Hikari glanced over her shoulder uneasily. “Not to throw you under the bus, Ken-<em>kun </em>, but I don’t really wanna go up the stairs first after that story.” She gave him an apologetic look. Ken narrowed his eyes, thoughtful. Daisuke had to stay back since he had the main camera, Iori was the youngest and the two girls were in danger of being pushed. Plus, even though none of them besides Daisuke knew, he had lived here and knew the way to the apartment. It really made sense for him to go first. So, with a resigned sigh, he took point as they started up the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>“Mind that stair, it’s weak.” he noted absently. He knew Miyako hadn’t listened when she tumbled with a suppressed screech.</p><p> </p><p>“Owww, what the heck?!” she whined. Daisuke pointed out that Ken had warned them and she huffed. “I <em> know </em> , I’m not <em> deaf </em> - wait. How did you know about that, Ken-<em>kun </em>?”</p><p> </p><p>He ignored the question. “Come on, we don’t have that long. And watch your step.” An awkward silence fell over them until they reached the third floor. Hikari and Miyako moved away from the stairwell and Ken noticed Hikari’s anxious glances. “Everything okay, Hikari-<em>s</em><em>an </em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“You need to ask? The presence here is really stifling and oppressive. Do you not feel it?” Ken hummed, staring at the ground in thought. Oddly, he felt fine. Looking down the hall, he suddenly froze, breath stolen away. Distantly, he heard Hikari gasp, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.</p><p> </p><p>Because there, standing in front of his childhood home’s door, was a small shadowy grey figure. </p><p> </p><p>Ken could make out their features very well, all exactly how he remembered them. The spiky hair, the glasses, the soft eyes and warm smile. Ken’s vision blurred and he blinked rapidly, breath catching. The spirit beckoned him, then walked into the apartment through the door. Ken went to follow, fingers twitching up, reaching out, <em> don’t go </em> , <em> stay--! </em></p><p> </p><p>“Ken?!” Fingers around his wrist grounded him, bringing him back to the present. Ken blinked, tears falling as he turned back to face Daisuke. “Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?”</p><p> </p><p>Ken opened his mouth to reply and choked on a sob, dropping into a crouch and pressing his face into his knees, arms wrapping around his legs. Daisuke knelt in front of him, carefully placing the camera down and gripping his shoulders gently before pulling him into a tight hug.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe it…” Iori murmured. “That shadow… none of us could have cast it, there’s no light and it was too small…” </p><p> </p><p>“You guys saw it, too?” Hikari asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, that was wild!” Miyako cheered. “Holy crap, did you get it on film, Daisuke?”</p><p> </p><p>“...I did.” He replied, hands still on Ken’s arms. Ken wiped his eyes and sniffled, looking up and giving him a grateful smile. </p><p> </p><p>Iori gasped. “This nameplate-!” Ken stiffened, whipping around to see him reading the plaque for the apartment the ghost had entered. Iori turned to him, gazed somewhere between surprise, confusion and… betrayal? </p><p> </p><p>“What is it, Iori?” Miyako asked. </p><p> </p><p>“...It says ‘Ichijouji’.” He stated. “Care to explain, Ken-<em>san </em>?” He could feel the weight of all their gazes on him and wished he could disappear.</p><p> </p><p>Then, Ken felt an odd irritation, and ended up taking the petty route. “No, I don’t care to.” He said firmly. With that, he pushed himself upright and stalked past him further down the corridor. He was distantly aware of Daisuke calling after him but ignored him. He just needed time, a little moment to himself to calm down and not lose his temper. Naturally, Daisuke didn’t care for Ken’s self-isolation tendencies, following him until Ken whirled to tell him to go back. He <em> really </em>didn’t want to be filmed right now. </p><p> </p><p>Daisuke was, of course, aware of this; the camera was pointedly facing away and Daisuke raised his hand to cover the microphone attached to his shirt. “Ken…” He bit his lip and lowered his voice. “I understand that you don’t wanna talk about this right now, but please at least lean on me. I wanna support you but I can’t if you won’t communicate with me.” Ken closed his eyes and dropped his head. He felt Daisuke’s fingers graze his and turned his hand outwards so they could lace their fingers. </p><p> </p><p>He was about to tell Daisuke when an intense chill washed over him, the sharp sting of static causing him to wrench his hand from Daisuke’s. Eyes wide, he regarded his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>That wasn’t Daisuke.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?” He demanded, voice trembling.</p><p> </p><p>At first, 'Daisuke' feigned confusion. "What are you talking about? It's me, dude."</p><p> </p><p>Ken stepped back. "I'm not fooled. My friend doesn't sound like that." He said firmly. "I'll ask again: who are you?" This time, Daisuke’s lips contorted into a sick smirk and he reached for Ken. Ken smacked his hand away, staggering back further. “Get <em> out </em> of him!” Daisuke tossed his head back, an almost-inhuman cackle erupting from his throat. Then, he leaned forward until he was right in Ken’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“Make me, little boy.” Its voice was terrifying, deep and reverberating. Then it turned away, sauntering off towards the others. He followed, he had to fix this, Daisuke was in danger-</p><p> </p><p>As soon as they reached the others, he saw Hikari’s eyes widen and she stumbled back away from whatever was using Daisuke’s body. Even Iori and Miyako seemed perturbed, watching him nervously. Daisuke - the thing using him - simply swept past them and started climbing the stairs to the higher floors.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going, Daisuke-<em>san </em>?” Iori ventured. It didn’t even look back. The bad feeling in Ken’s gut worsened, heavy like a stone. Hikari caught him before he could follow.</p><p> </p><p>“Ken-<em>kun </em>, no! That’s not him!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, that’s the problem! Whatever that <em> thing </em> is, I don’t want it doing something that could hurt Daisuke.” Tugging his arm from her grip, he raced up the stairs after Daisuke, pulling his radio out as he climbed. “Takeru-<em>s</em><em>an </em>, can you see where Daisuke is?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Uhh, he’s on… the roof? Why is he there? What’s going on?! </em>” </p><p> </p><p>Cursing under his breath, Ken ran faster, bursting onto the roof and stumbling to a stop. Daisuke stood at a very conspicuous hole in the fence, eroded by neglect and the elements. The thing moving him turned, that smirk back in place. </p><p> </p><p>“You can’t stop me,” it sneered. “I will be taking another soul tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>Ken snarled. “The <em> fuck </em> you will. Give me my Daisuke back!”</p><p> </p><p>It threw its head back again, laughing that inhuman laugh, sending chills down Ken’s spine. “I doubt you could react in time, little one. You will suffer yet another loss here.”</p><p> </p><p>Ken bristled, implications horrifying him. “You… You didn’t… Not him too…” </p><p> </p><p>Another dark chortle. “Say goodbye to ‘your’ Daisuke.” </p><p> </p><p>Ken lunged forward, screaming Daisuke’s name. Suddenly, the creature using Daisuke’s body made an odd, gurgling growl. Instead of falling backward, it was stuck balanced precariously on Daisuke’s heels. Without warning, Daisuke was pitched forward, like he was shoved, and Ken managed to catch him. He slumped lifelessly in Ken’s arms, camera slipping from his slack grip. </p><p> </p><p>“Daisuke?! Daisuke, wake up!” Ken lay a hand on Daisuke’s cheek, caressing gently. At least he was still breathing, and that horrid static sensation was gone. Did that mean-</p><p> </p><p>That same snarling sound tore Ken’s gaze from his partner’s face, staring up into a terrifying blackness, darker even than the night sky behind it. It loomed over him, its mere presence setting off Ken’s fight or flight instinct. He couldn’t run with an unconscious Daisuke in his arms, so he steeled himself for a fight. Even though he wasn’t sure how to fight a demon, or whatever malevolent entity this was.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, he didn’t need to.</p><p> </p><p>The entity shifted, growls pitching up into a yowl, and it darted away towards the stairwell. Ken watched it go, senses on high alert. That’s how he felt a second presence, whipping around to face it, hand reaching for his prayer beads. Only to stop short when he registered what, or <em> who</em>, the presence was.</p><p> </p><p>There, standing in front of the hole in the wire fence, was the ghost of his brother.</p><p> </p><p>Shakily, he reached out. “Nii-san…” he whispered. Osamu smiled sweetly, reaching back. Their fingers brushed and Ken felt an intense cold, but he barely registered that. “Nii-san! You were protecting us?”</p><p> </p><p>Osamu’s smile widened and he nodded. “I always have,” His voice was so soft, Ken could barely hear it over the wind. “You’ve grown up so much, but you’ll always be my little brother, Ken. And it’s my job as your older brother to protect you.” </p><p> </p><p>Ken sobbed, lips curling up despite his tears. “You’re the one who’s been protecting Mama from that demon, ever since then.”</p><p> </p><p>Osamu nodded. “I know I didn’t always treat you right, snapping and taking my stress out on you. I always regretted it. I’m sorry, Ken. I wish I could’ve said so before I...” His icy fingers stroked Ken’s hair. “I’m glad you found someone to support you. His strong belief in you helped a lot in driving the spirit away.”</p><p> </p><p>They remained like that for a few moments, just happy to be together again. “What happens now? Will you stay?”</p><p> </p><p>Osamu hummed affirmatively. “Yeah, I wanna look after mum and dad. I don’t know if that demon left or just retreated to regain its strength. Unfortunately, I can’t protect the other residents, only those who were close to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“It won’t hurt you?”</p><p> </p><p>“No. I don’t really understand, but another spirit told me it may be because of my strong, protective soul that that evil spirit can’t hurt me. I guess I became like a guardian angel.” He joked. Ken laughed softly, brushing away his tears. “Will you come visit more often? Mum and dad miss you, and I do, too. Maybe now, we can talk to each other.”</p><p> </p><p>Ken beamed. “I’d love that. Our trips take us to a lot of places. Next time I come back, I’ll tell you about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds good. I should go, I wanna check on mum and dad. You’ll be okay with your boyfriend, right?” His tone turned teasing and Ken felt his cheeks heat up.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up,” he grumbled. But the embarrassment faded quickly, Ken smiling back at him. “See you soon, Nii-san.”</p><p> </p><p>With one last smile, Osamu faded away. Ken bowed his head, stroking Daisuke’s cheek to keep himself grounded. Slowly, chatter filtered through the fog in his mind and he looked up. The others, Takeru included, all stood just beside the entryway, watching him cautiously. A security guard and an engineer appeared, carrying a large tarp between them.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright, young man?” The guard asked. Ken nodded, answering his other questions as the engineer got to work patching the hole up. After some back-and-forth, the guard gestured to Daisuke. “And your friend? Is he alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“He will be, just a little… drained.” Ken replied. A little more conversation passed between them until the engineer finished her work, and then the two left with a warning not to go near the gap. “Rest assured, I’m not going anywhere near it.” Ken stated firmly.</p><p> </p><p>Once they were gone, the rest of the team hurried over. They all asked a lot of questions at once, Ken’s head spinning as he tried to keep up.</p><p> </p><p>“Guys, stop!” Hikari barked, shutting the rest of them up instantly. She turned back to Ken. “Are you both okay?” Her gaze lingered on Daisuke.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” Ken smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe that all happened.” Iori whispered, wringing his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we got it all on film, so that probably helps prove it’s real.” Takeru piped up. </p><p> </p><p>Miyako scoffed. “Like anyone’ll believe it. I bet you two thousand yen someone says it was all a skit and we’re just actors.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do <em> you </em> believe it, Miyako-<em>chan </em>?” Hikari asked. Miyako hesitated, fiddling with her sleeve anxiously. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, she answered. “Well, it’s kinda hard <em> not </em> to. Our fans don’t know you guys, but I do. You would never pull a stunt like this. Plus, we can check the tapes and they hopefully caught everything.” </p><p> </p><p>“Wow, who knew getting possessed was all it took to convince you?” A groggy voice cut in. Ken gasped, looking down at a visibly-exhausted Daisuke. He winced at the chorus of excited shouts the others gave. “Ow, fuck, my head!” He hissed. Ken gently stroked his hair.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he sighed. “It was really scary for a while there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm, yeah. I blacked out a lot, but I remember you calling to me. Defending me. I remember believing you’d figure it out somehow, then there was this loud snapping, like someone clicking their fingers, and I felt like I was pushed from behind. Next thing I know, I wake up like this.” Daisuke rubbed his head and grumbled. “Fucker could’ve at least not left me with a fucking migraine.”</p><p> </p><p>Ken couldn’t help but laugh, relief crashing over him, almost overwhelming. He leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to Daisuke’s lips. Daisuke hummed softly, reaching up to slide his fingers into Ken’s dark hair, Ken sighing at the feeling. Playful groans and protests from the others brought them back to reality. Ken pulled back and pressed their foreheads together, silently thanking the heavens and his brother for protecting them. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” he murmured. “Let’s go back. I think the rest of the investigation can wait until tomorrow night.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Reconnect</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The morning after Daisuke's possession, Ken goes to visit his childhood home. There, he speaks with his mother about what had occurred the previous night.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning, Ken went back into the apartment building alone. Daisuke was still out cold and the others were examining footage and researching over breakfast, so Ken had decided he wanted to pay his parents a visit. Making his way up to the third floor, Ken pulled out his keyring, the keys jingling as he searched for the familiar one to his childhood home. Stopping outside apartment 303, he finally found the right one and unlocked the door, knocking to announce his arrival.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m home. Mama? Papa?” He called as he closed it behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Oh, I’m so glad you stopped by!” His mother cried, bustling out of the kitchen and bundling him into a hug. “Come on in, are you hungry? I just made breakfast. Are you alright? We heard some sort of commotion last night. Apparently, there was a hole in the roof’s fencing? And an engineer had to be called to cover it! Now the residents have all been informed that we mustn’t go up there because of how dangerous it is… How scary! No-one was hurt, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled, sliding his feet into his slippers. He’d missed hearing her talk so much; phone calls just weren’t enough. “No, everyone’s fine. It was close, though.” He recounted the previous night’s happenings to her over breakfast, grateful for her attention and the home-cooked meal; Daisuke was a stellar cook, but there was just something different, something comforting, about eating his mother’s cooking. She was horrified to hear of Daisuke’s possession, wringing her hands as she asked after him. “He’s fine, just sleeping off the encounter.” He assured her. Then, he hesitated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Briefly, he considered not telling her about who had helped them. He didn’t want to open old wounds and bring back such immense pain. But at the same time, Ken knew she had to know, that it would probably give her some closure. Taking a deep breath, he silently prayed that Osamu wouldn’t mind before speaking. “He was saved by another spirit, one who’s been watching over us for a long time.” She tilted her head curiously. “Mama, it… it was Osamu nii-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?!” She gasped, hands flying to her mouth. For a moment, Ken worried that he’d made a big mistake. Then, she broke into a watery smile. “Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>… he’s been protecting us?” Ken nodded and his mother leaned forward slightly, dabbing at her eyes. “Oh, I’m so happy he’s here. Is that selfish? I should probably be wishing he’d moved on, right?” She worried her lip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken gently laid a hand over hers. “He wanted to protect us. If he didn’t want to be here, he probably wouldn’t be. I doubt he’d be upset at you for wishing that.” He squeezed gently. “It hurt so much losing him as his younger brother, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much it hurt you and Papa. Anyone would wish for their child back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sniffled softly. “Thank you, dear. It means a lot that you understand. Even though I want Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span> back, I’d rather he be happy wherever he may be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that exact moment, movement over his mother’s shoulder caught Ken’s eye. There stood Osamu, a sad smile on his face. Ken returned it, beckoning him over surreptitiously. Head tilting curiously, he glided to stand (float?) beside Ken. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you could ask.” He suggested. She gave him an odd look, then the realisation hit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s here? Now?” When Ken nodded, she looked around. “Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, please show me you’re here. Somehow, however you can!” Osamu reached forward, glancing uncertainly at Ken. Receiving an encouraging nod, he laid a hand over their mother’s. She gasped, no doubt feeling the sudden cold, and her eyes became misty with tears. “Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>…! Oh, sweetheart, I- I wanted to apologise for how your Papa and I treated you. We should’ve been less strict, given you more freedom. We know that we can’t change the past, can’t undo the hurt we caused or bring you back, but know that Papa and I love you and miss you so much.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu closed his eyes, ghostly tears sliding down his cheeks. “I know, Mama. But it means a lot for you to say it to me. I made mistakes too, we all did, but know that I’ll be watching over you always.” He turned to Ken. “Can you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Ken murmured, turning to their mother and relaying his message. She broke down, sobbing, and Ken moved, kneeling by her side to console her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I always had suspicions,” she choked out. “When the bad things stopped happening suddenly, I’d wondered if Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span> was looking after me. When you suddenly started talking about seeing and speaking to him after you moved into his room, I was worried you were dealing with his death unhealthily and that’s why you father and I sent you to that therapist. But at the same time, I thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” She gripped his arms and he pressed his forehead to hers, eyes stinging. “I’m sorry, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>… For not believing you. For forcing you to hide your gift. I’m so sorry!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled, hugging her tightly. “I appreciate the apology, and that you support me now. Thank you.” He looked at his brother, who was watching sadly, and beckoned him over. His eyes widened. “I know it probably won’t be enough, but please join us, nii-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ken… You’ve always been so incredibly kind.” With a fond smile, he swept over to them. Even though he was incorporeal, Ken could feel his brother’s arm around his shoulder. From her gasp, so did his mother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stayed like that for a while, sniffling and just enjoying one another’s presence. Eventually, Ken’s mobile phone rang and the group hug dissolved. He checked the screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Daisuke.” he murmured, glancing at his mother in askance. She nodded and Osamu grinned at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give your boyfriend my regards.” he teased. Ken pulled a face at him, blushing, before walking out onto the balcony.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ken! Where’d you go?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not far. How’re you feeling?” He could practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear</span>
  </em>
  <span> Daisuke pouting at his avoiding the question and had to suppress a snicker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Better, now that I’ve had a good sleep.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He groaned slightly, Ken assuming he was stretching. Then, Daisuke lowered his voice. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You up at your parents’ place?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken knew better than to deny it; Daisuke could always see through his lies. “Yeah. Told my mum what happened last night, and had a little rendez-vous with Osamu nii-san.” Daisuke made a curious sound. “He showed up a little while ago so I helped him and mum have a little heart-to-heart. I think it went well; Pretty sure we all got a little closure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m glad. Think you all needed it.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ken hummed in agreement. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>We’re about to start analysing our evidence from last night, Iori’s getting pretty antsy about you not being here.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll be down soon.” He smiled through their </span>
  <em>
    <span>see you’</span>
  </em>
  <span>s and hung up, sighing softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He sounds like a pretty good guy,” Ken squeaked and turned to see Osamu smirking up at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nii-san, don’t scare me like that!” He complained, dropping to his haunches to be closer to Osamu’s eyeline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His brother’s smirk shifted, became tinged with sadness. “You look like the older one, now.” he muttered, arms folded self-consciously. Still, his smile turned fond. “You got tall, huh? And you grew your hair out… it looks good. I wish I could still be here with you…” Ken reached out and tried to squeeze his shoulder, fingers phasing through. The chill momentarily numbed his fingertips, a harsh reminder. “Can I meet your friends?” he piped up suddenly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken’s head was spinning a little from the shifts in mood. “Only Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> will be able to see you, I think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken hummed, absently twirling a lock of hair. “I’ve had a feeling Daisuke’s a little more sensitive than he thinks. He’s definitely prone to being affected by spirits, as you saw last night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you believe he might be able to see me?” Osamu asked, eyes widening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken nodded. “If not, he’ll at least be able to sense you. Besides just feeling the cold.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu’s expression brightened and he began tugging Ken’s sleeve, insistent that they go </span>
  <em>
    <span>right now</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ken’s smile was a little pained; Osamu was probably really lonely, having no-one see him once Ken had moved out to live with Daisuke in university. Even from before then, since Ken had started pretending he couldn’t hear or see him anymore. How he regretted that action...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing the thought back for later, he went back inside and told his mother that they were going back to the van “Alright, sweetheart. Come back and visit soon, okay?”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will, next time we’re back in town. I’ll bring Daisuke, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She beamed. “That would be wonderful.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. What Next?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The team discuss the events of the previous night and what they think they should do next</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! Long time, no post! I'm sorry about that. I was actually really sick (probably not with the rona, thankfully) - like "couldn't leave my bed except to use the toilet" sick. It fucking sucked lmao</p><p>As a side effect of that, I haven't actually written anything in about two weeks, which makes me sad cause I have a whole bunch of new AUs and ideas as well as stuff for DaiKen week that I wanted to write but alas, I was stricken with the Sick. Good thing I already had a few chapters of this drafted out lmao</p><p>I forgot to mention in a previous author's note, but I'm having Ken refer to Osamu as "nii-san" when speaking to him and "Osamu nii-san" when speaking about him. Hope that makes sense.</p><p>Enough of my blabbering, hope you enjoy the chapter! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>At Takeru’s signal, Hikari shuffled some papers, arranging them such that they were easily readable. “Our initial research was a little rushed because of how sudden the tip was made. Since we were only in town for a little while, we decided to hit it as soon as we could. With the information from last night’s events, I did a little more digging and my search brought back some names for the deceased here. One of them was quite familiar.” She pulled a page from beneath the team’s iPad and gave Ken a hard look, the others glancing nervously between them. “Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken closed his eyes, pained. “The little boy who saved us. His name was... Ichijouji Osamu.” A heavy silence settled over them, the others’ expressions ranging from shock to pity. Daisuke reached out, squeezing Ken’s hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...That’s right.” Hikari confirmed. “You went inside this morning. To visit your family, right?” Ken nodded; no point hiding it now. “Why didn’t you say anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to bring personal matters into the investigation. Not that it mattered all that much…” He gripped Daisuke’s hand, silently asking for his support. Daisuke’s hand tightened around his and he gave a strained smile. “Osamu was my older brother. He was hit by a car and killed when I was eight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry… that’s so awful.” Miyako whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled softly. “It’s alright. It was a long time ago, and my family and I have mostly healed since the accident. But in the beginning, things were… rough.” Curious looks were exchanged while Ken gathered his courage. “You recall that I hid my ability to see and communicate with ghosts, right?” The others nodded and muttered affirmations. “It was actually after my brother’s sudden passing that my abilities came about. I would often see him at home and spoke with him. Neither of us really understood what was happening; Osamu nii-san was upset that everyone else ignored him and I was told by my parents that he was ‘no longer with us’. I tried telling them he was still here, but they believed I was just… I don’t know, making it up to cope? One day, they caught me talking to him and got mad when I insisted he was really there; It was scary, how angry my dad got. He said that enough was enough, that Osamu nii-san wasn’t here anymore and never would be… After that, my parents sent me to a psychologist and... I pretended I couldn’t see him anymore.” He dropped his head, shoulders shaking, and leaned against Daisuke when the other wrapped him up in a one-armed hug. “I felt bad because Osamu nii-san was really hurt; I was the only person who he could speak to. Eventually, he stopped appearing and I wondered if he really was just a figment of my imagination or if he’d left because he was sick of being ignored.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn… That musta hurt a lot…” Daisuke murmured, gently rubbing his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken nodded. “It did. I tried to tell myself it was just my mind seeing things to cope with the grief. But when I met you guys in high school and we started the occult club, I realised that I was actually a sensitive, that I’d really been seeing him there...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s why you quit,” Hikari frowned. “Oh, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m sorry. I wish there was something we could’ve done to help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hid it on purpose. I wasn’t really over what had happened at that point and didn’t want to relive it.” He sighed, reaching out to play with Daisuke’s fingers. “Now I’m in a much better place and my parents realise I wasn’t lying about seeing ghosts. I just wish they’d believed me before… But we can’t change what’s already been done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you can’t change it, but you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> make up for it.” Daisuke smiled encouragingly and Ken couldn’t help but return it. “Now then, what else do we have, research-wise?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hikari shuffled some papers, reading quickly. “The evil entity probably isn’t a demon, but a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Onryou </span>
  </em>
  <span>- a malevolent ghost. I believe it may be linked to a death that occurred during the building’s construction about fifty years ago; a builder supposedly fell from the roof, but it was basically common knowledge that his supervisor was abusing him. The theory is that they got into a heated argument and the supervisor pushed him harder than he intended, leading to him falling and dying. It was allegedly covered up because the supervisor was a high rank in the construction company.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, that’s terrible! What should we do, though?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing we can do about his circumstances, and he seems to be taking on his boss’s mannerisms now that he’s deceased.” Iori took the paper, reading it through. “Something tells me he won’t be willing to move on, with this much vengeance in his soul. If we try that, he may try to hurt us again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, not even that tarp will stop him,” Takeru mused, turning the camera to pan over them all. “He’ll probably possess someone and use them to rip it off, or tear a big enough hole in it for someone to fit through.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’d definitely know how to do that, with a past in construction…” Miyako nibbled her lip. “Maybe we should postpone the rest of the investigation until we can get a priest in to help exorcise him or -”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have that kinda time, this was a crunch as it is!” Daisuke interjected. Miyako puffed out her cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, that’s why I say we make this a two-parter!” She shot back. Daisuke shook his head, about to reply when Ken decided to pipe up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how comfortable I am leaving the residents with a malevolent spirit, especially now that we know it can possess people.” That gave them all pause.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> is right,” Hikari said distractedly. “The people living here are in danger, and Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> can only protect his own family. We need to do something about this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our next location might have to be pushed back then, huh?” Daisuke hummed, gaze turning to the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we’re committing to exorcising this spirit, then it can’t be helped,” Iori stated. “Let’s start looking for local priests who may be able to perform exorcisms.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Way ahead of you.” Hikari showed them the iPad that she’d been typing away on. “A </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shinto</span>
  </em>
  <span> exorcism would probably be best, since the builder was said to have been a believer in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shinto</span>
  </em>
  <span> religion. There are a couple local priests who perform the ceremonies, we should go ask about their services.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll contact the people at our next location and see if they’re willing to reschedule.” Takeru said, grabbing the team’s work phone and handing off the camera to Daisuke. “Here, you do the filming while I take care of this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ehhh, why can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> do the calling?” Daisuke complained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a little too straight-forward and they may take that the wrong way,” Takeru replied, sliding open the van’s side door and stepping outside. “Get some great shots~” With that, Takeru slid the door closed again. Daisuke pouted but got on with his job, turning the camera to Hikari and Iori, who were pouring over the search results. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah!” he said suddenly. Placing the camera down, he turned to Ken. “I wanted to ask, what do you wanna do with the info about your brother?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should probably decide if you wanna keep the stuff about his connection to you private and make a note of your decision,” Daisuke explained. “We’re probably gonna have to remove all the stuff about this being your childhood home and that your parents still live here anyway to protect you guys’ privacy, so what about the stuff about Osamu?” Ken was stunned. Sometimes, he forgot how observant Daisuke could be, how conscientious. He couldn’t help but smile at his boyfriend’s thoughtfulness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure it’s up to just me. We could ask my parents when all is said and done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what about you? What do you want?” Daisuke’s gaze bore into his, stripping away all of Ken’s protective layers until he felt vulnerable, like he was being examined under a microscope. He was distantly aware that the others had stopped what they were doing and were watching the exchange, but Daisuke stole most of his focus. Daisuke reached out and took his hand, head tilting as if to say ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Well? What’s your answer?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken gripped his hand. “I… want it removed,” he finally admitted. “It’s just so personal, I’m not sure I want it on national television.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sweet smile, Daisuke squeezed his hand before motioning for the iPad. Hikari handed it to him wordlessly, and Ken watched him open the file for this project. At the top, in large, bolded letters, he wrote:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>ALL INFORMATION REFERRING TO KEN’S CONNECTION TO THIS LOCATION AND ANY SPIRITS THEREIN ARE TO BE REMOVED BEFORE AIRING. THIS IS NOT A POINT OF CONTENTION OR COMPROMISE.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Daisuke…” he murmured, gaping as he passed the device back to Hikari.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve met your parents. Your mum, at the very least, seems like she’d agree with you. That’s a two-to-one vote, unless you wanna count Osamu’s too.” He raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’d also want the privacy,” Ken said. “When we were kids, he got a lot of attention from being very intelligent for his age.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If he’s anything like you, he probably hated every second of it.” Daisuke quipped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken laughed. “Right. He got a lot of stress from it. But, being a kid, there wasn’t much he could do about it…” He sighed and brushed back his bangs. “Anyway, we should still at least ask my parents.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, if that’s what you want.” Daisuke agreed with a grin. “Just thought we’d get it out the way now. We can ask your parents after the investigation is done.” At that moment, the van door slid open again and Takeru appeared with a tired smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They agreed to push our time back by a week, max.” He paused. “What’s with the atmosphere in here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just missed Daisuke </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking ahead</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Miyako cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Takeru gasped dramatically. “No way! Did we get it on film?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure, I was frozen in shock!” Hikari added, sighing for effect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you guys.” Daisuke scowled as the others laughed. Ken just smiled and lay a hand over his, pleased to see Daisuke return it. “We got a contact for those priests?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iori nodded. “We’ll need to call ahead but we’d probably have to ask in person. It seems we’ll have to go to the shrines to request their services.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All of us?” Miyako asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Iori shook his head. “There are two near enough to have them come here. We’d probably only need a few hours to visit both, but bargaining with them may take some time as we don’t know how much they’ll ask. I say we should allocate the rest of today to visiting these priests.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not even noon yet!” Daisuke exclaimed. “You’ll need all of today?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hikari sighed. “Unfortunately. We’d not only be asking these priests for their services, but liaising with our broadcasting company to find out whether they’ll pay for the service. If it’s expensive, we may not be able to afford it ourselves.” Daisuke deflated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, who’s going?” Miyako asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking one sensitive and one skeptic. Would you like to come with me, Miyako-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure! But what about the camera? Will they allow us to film?” She mused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not sure, but we can call on the way to let them know we’re visiting and ask then.” Hikari smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m that case, do you want me or Daisuke to come with you? That way, we could film you two talking to the priest, if we’re allowed.” Takeru suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You go, Takeru.” Daisuke said. He frowned at the others’ expressions of surprise. “What? I wanna stick around, maybe go through more of the footage and document stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just want to stay with Ken,” Iori accused, though his tone wasn’t harsh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That too,” he conceded. “By the way, has anyone let the company know about the change of plans?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few curses slipped from Miyako’s mouth and she swiped the work phone from Takeru. “I’ll call them now. Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Takeru-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you two go get the car ready to go so we can set off as soon as I’m done.” She hurried off, already dialing the number. Takeru and Hikari exchanged amused shrugs before going about gathering what they’d need for the trip. Iori went back to the research and Daisuke headed back to the screens where last night’s footage was waiting to be reviewed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken stopped him on the way. “Do you have a little time?” he asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke raised an eyebrow. “Sure, what’s up?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Connecting and Researching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ken brings Daisuke into the building to introduce him to Osamu, and maybe find a lead while they're at it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! </p><p>DaiKen Week ended a few days ago and I'm back to writing other stuff! Unfortunately, I haven't been having much luck with this AU atm so I only have a couple chapters written up. Cause of that, I'm gonna slow down my posting schedule (as if I had a regular one lmao) until I've got enough written that I won't catch up to myself. I hope that's okay ;-;</p><p>Enjoy this chapter! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ken and Daisuke ventured back into the apartment building, arms brushing from their proximity. Daisuke still seemed confused by Ken’s request, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Run this by me one more time?” He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled. “I’m bringing you to meet my brother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke stopped in his tracks. “That’s not what you said before…” His eyebrows had disappeared beneath his wild fringe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken laughed a little. “Surprise?” He startled at a loud, bright laugh. Whipping around, he saw Osamu leaning on the staircase bannister. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daisuke staring at him. “Nii-san! Stop scaring me like that!” he complained, hand over his heart. Osamu snickered, opening his mouth to respond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So that’s your brother?” Both Ichijoujis turned to gape at Daisuke, who shifted uncomfortably under their attention. “What? You brought me here to see him, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken’s head was spinning. “You… You can actually see him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Vaguely? I can’t see, like, details, and he sounds like he’s whispering, but he’s definitely there.” Daisuke shook his head in astonishment. “I kinda can’t believe I can actually see him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who noticed me last night…” Osamu mused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only as, like, a shadow. Now I can see more details, though not super clear like Ken and Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “I wonder if the possession has something to do with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s definitely possible.” Ken said. “Though, I’ve always got the impression that you’re not completely occult-blind like you seemed to think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, maybe the possession acted as a catalyst for strengthening Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s abilities, like my death did to yours?” Osamu reasoned. Ken agreed, it was definitely a possibility. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to use honorifics with me, my guy. Am I okay to call you just Osamu?” Daisuke asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu made a big show of hemming and hawing. “Hmm, I’m not sure… Maybe you should call me ‘nii-san’ too, since you’re my little brother’s boyfriend,” he teased, revelling in both Daisuke’s and Ken’s sudden blushes. Ken stammered out something about how they weren’t married, giving Osamu pause. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Can</span>
  </em>
  <span> you get married? I’ll be first to admit that I’m a little behind on current affairs…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke shifted, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “There’re a few places that’ll do it in Tokyo, but change is… slow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately.” Ken murmured. Osamu looked between the pair before apologising. Ken blinked. “What for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For bringing up something painful. It sure looks like that’s something that upsets you both.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah,” Daisuke scoffed. “Don’t even get to show off my boyfriend or be publicly affectionate. Though I probably wouldn’t be anyway, since that makes Ken uncomfortable.” Ken blushed a little, fond smile tugging at his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If it were more accepted, I probably wouldn’t worry about it quite so much. But I appreciate your thinking of me.” He reached out, tangling their fingers together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke beamed. “Of course! I swore I would be a good partner to you. Though I made sure to add a little star that says ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>unless you need my help coming to your senses</span>
  </em>
  <span>’.” he joked. Ken laughed brightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew he was good for you,” Osamu’s voice was softer than ever, but Ken could hear the pride and approval in it. Turning to face his brother, he was shocked by the look on his face. The emotions there were almost indescribable, an odd mix of deep sadness and pain mixed with that pride.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nii-san…” Ken approached him, kneeling down to speak to him directly. “I don’t think I ever apologised for what I did.” Osamu made a confused noise. “For ignoring you after our parents caught me talking to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you don’t need to,” he insisted. “I was upset, sure, but that’s mostly because I didn’t really understand what was happening. I know why, now. I’m sorry for disappearing on you, I know how much that upset you. Even if you were trying to pretend you were okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken shook his head. “I understand. We were both a bit silly back then, huh?” They laughed together, then Osamu held his arms up. Beaming, Ken leaned into his hold. That icy chill washed over him, but it was a comfort now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> chill was his brother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They pulled back after a minute, both with somewhat misty eyes. Osamu glanced over at Daisuke. Then, he beckoned him over. Blinking, Daisuke walked over, and Osamu hugged him too. Daisuke gasped, likely at the sudden cold, then he smiled and hugged back. Ken could see his brother smiling widely. Once they separated, Osamu gave him a very stern look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m trusting you to look after my baby brother out there.” He stated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken groaned, dropping his face into his hands. “Nii-san, please…” Osamu struggled to maintain a straight face, even Daisuke was suppressing his snickers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu cleared his throat. “I can look after him here, but I can’t leave the building. The roof or balconies are as far as I’m allowed to go. So I’m asking you, please take care of him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke’s expression became serious. “Of course. He’s my most important person, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he stays happy.” Ken felt himself turn red, even his ears stinging. Osamu’s face broke into a smirk at the sight, his shoulders shaking slightly, and Ken sent him an annoyed glare. Daisuke simply smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist. He pressed a soft kiss to Ken’s temple. “I mean it, one-hundred percent. Seeing you happy is good enough for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken buried his face into Daisuke’s neck, grumbling. “Yeah, which is why you tried setting me up with Miyako-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on, that was in our second year of high school! How can you still be holding that against me?” Daisuke griped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should know by now that I’m a master at holding grudges.” Ken teased, pulling back. “Sorry for the sudden subject change, but bringing you here wasn’t just for introductions’ sake.” The other two gave him curious looks and Ken moved to sit against the wall below the stairs. Daisuke and Osamu joined him, exchanging concerned glances. Ken took a breath. “I wanted to discuss the events of last night. Specifically, Daisuke’s possession.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately, the air became more serious. “I don’t know how much I can tell you, but I’ll do my best to answer your questions.” Osamu said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I already gave you the gist of my experience. Want me to say it again?” Daisuke asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken nodded. “Nii-san didn’t hear about what you felt or heard. Something you say could help with connecting the dots.” Daisuke agreed, telling Osamu everything he remembered. For the most part, he listened attentively, nodding along with Daisuke’s story.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu frowned slightly. “A snapping sound?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, like someone clicking their fingers. Like this!” He demonstrated, the loud snap echoing through the vacant entrance hall. Osamu narrowed his eyes, gaze distant. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… Maybe the sound broke the evil spirit’s concentration? Or perhaps it was the sound of its control breaking. There’s also this legend that strong magicians could cast spells with a simple snap of the fingers.” he mused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Magick?” Ken asked. “We did research into that in the occult club. Not finger snapping specifically, just methods of casting spells.” He glanced up at the staircase above them. “I wonder if I still have the books? I never took them with me to university, but I specifically asked mum not to throw them out…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s probably a red herring,” Osamu said. “What are we going to do with magic, anyway?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You never know, there might be a section on dealing with evil spirits and demons and sh-stuff.” Daisuke caught himself at the last second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu simply scoffed. “Trust me, I’ve heard every cuss under the sun. After Ken moved out, dad was more liberal with his cursing. Don’t hold yourself back for my sake.” He waved a hand blithely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so.” Daisuke shrugged before turning to Ken. “Anyway, it’s worth it to check every lead. Shall we go see if your books are still around?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” Pushing himself up, he offered a hand to Daisuke and the three made their way upstairs. Ken was a little distracted, reliving the events of the previous night.  Daisuke on the edge of that roof, tipping backwards… Ken felt his throat close up. If Osamu hadn’t been there… It scared him, just how close he’d come to losing his best friend, losing the love of his life. What would happen if that spirit came back? What if-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Ken!” Ken startled, blinking back at Daisuke and Osamu’s concerned expression. “There you are! What were you thinking of so deeply?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry! I was miles away…” He jogged back down the stairs to the third floor, laughing awkwardly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could tell,” Osamu quipped. “Really, what’s bothering you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” Ken brushed them off, making his way to his parents’ apartment. He could practically feel Daisuke’s dissatisfaction, though he opted to not cause a confrontation right now. He dug out his keys, once again fishing for the right one and unlocking the door. He knocked again as they entered. “I’m home. Mama? I brought Daisuke with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shuffled out of the living room. “Oh, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon. Hello, Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Daisuke bowed in greeting. “What brings you back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We wanted to check some books I left behind after high school,” Ken explained. “Do you remember where you stored them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Ichijouji hummed thoughtfully, a finger to her lips. “I probably stored them in your closet. I don’t know whether they’ll be at the bottom though… Since they were heavy, that would make sense…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled. “Thanks, Mama. We’ll go take a look.” Beckoning Daisuke and Osamu, he made his way down the corridor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make you two some lemonade!” She cheered as she entered the kitchen. Daisuke and Ken called their thanks to her, then entered Ken’s childhood bedroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Man, this brings back memories…” Daisuke murmured, gaze wandering around the room. It was almost exactly how it had been when Ken had left, his posters still on the walls, desktop computer sitting where it always was. Ken opened his closet, giving the boxes within a quick glance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like they are on the bottom,” Ken sighed. “Help me move these?” Daisuke came over and took the boxes Ken passed, piling them against the wall. “This one’s pretty heavy, be careful.” Daisuke grunted as he took it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn, what’s in this one?” he grumbled, placing it down and leaning around to read what was written on the side. “‘Certificates and trophies’? You got trophies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d guess at least half are Osamu nii-san’s,” Ken said absently. “Aha! Found it!” He groaned as he pulled it out, sliding it over the carpet. A knock at the door drew his attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I brought the lemonade.” His mother called, opening the door and smiling. “I’ll just leave it on your desk. Oh, you found the books?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken beamed triumphantly. “Looks like it. Just gotta open it up and see. Thanks again for this, Mama.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, dear. By the way, is Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span> with you?” Ken blinked and looked around. He was just saying how Osamu </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been with them when at that moment, he glided in through the wall, giving Daisuke a fright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ffff- Damn, dude, don’t do that!” He wheezed, hand gripping his chest. Osamu cackled and Ken shook his head fondly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s your answer.” he joked. His mother, however, just looked confused. “Mama?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She jolted. “Oh! I’m sorry, dear, I just… didn’t realise Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> could see… spirits.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seems like it’s a recent thing.” Daisuke said with a shrug. Ken shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it was something you always slightly had, I think. Just that the possession amplified it somehow.” At Daisuke’s confused look, he glanced up in thought. “Back in the club, you were always one of the quickest to notice that something was off after Hikari and me. I guess since you tend to be sensitive to people around you, I had thought that maybe that extended to spirits too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke hummed. “So like, I connect to people easily, whether or not they’re living?” he guessed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right. So you already had latent ability; that is, it was like… sleeping in you? And the possession woke it up.” Ken finished. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh… I guess that makes sense. I never really thought about it, to be honest. I thought I was just sorta… not copying you and Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but more like your reactions put me on high alert.” Suddenly, he snickered. “Man, Miyako’s gonna be pi- uh, mad when she finds out we have three sensitives now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Ichijouji made a thoughtful noise. “I see… Well, it’s nice that you have another thing to connect you two. I’ll let you get back to it, let me know if you need anything, boys.” With that, she shut the door behind her. For a moment, no-one said anything. Ken went back to the box of books.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought I said you didn’t have to keep from swearing around me.” Osamu frowned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I know, but your mum hates hearing us swear so I try to keep my language clean while I’m here.” Daisuke explained, poking around in the box of trophies. Minutes passed in silence as they worked, Ken cutting open the tapes and digging through his old textbooks and workbooks. Osamu hovered over them curiously. Then, Daisuke spoke up. “You said your brother would have at least half of these, but I haven’t found a single one that belongs to him and I’ve already hit the bottom.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken hummed noncommittally. “Maybe his are in his side of the closet...Yes!” Finally, he’d found what they were looking for. He pulled the large book out and pushed the box aside. Flipping it open, he scanned the table of contents, Daisuke and Osamu coming over to read over his shoulders. Much of it was about how to use crystals and herbs. Under the ‘Casting a spell’ heading, there were several sections and Ken had no idea how to tell which would tell him what he needed to know. Eyes narrowing, he instead flipped to the index in the back of the book, found the ‘S’ part and quickly ran his finger down the list. Finally, there it was: ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Snap; 46, 130, 177, 230</span>
  </em>
  <span>’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The earlier ones are probably about the herbs and shit, right?” Daisuke asked. Ken nodded, flipping to the last one instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… Seems like it’s saying you can cast a spell in any way as long as it’s pertinent to the spell being cast. A lot about candles and crystals, snapping fingers is rare because most spells take a lot of work to cast…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So it probably wasn’t a spell being cast…” Osamu deduced with a defeated sigh</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What now?” Daisuke asked softly. Ken stared blankly at the page, mind racing. Daisuke’s hand on his shoulders shook him from his thoughts and he closed the book with a snap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s take this back with us. Maybe Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> will see something we can’t.” Pushing himself up, he placed the book beside their drinks and picked his glass up, taking a deep drink. With a sigh, he lightly shook the condensation from his hand and went back to the box. “Since she’s not here right now, let’s clean up and then go help with the research and analysis.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went about putting the books and boxes away again. Daisuke hesitated next to the box of trophies, but then shook his head and closed it up again, carefully carrying it over to the closet where Ken took it and put it away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get you to tell me about the shit in that box one day, Ken,” he said. “Wish we had time now, but we’ve got work to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After finishing their lemonade, they took their glasses back to the kitchen to wash up. Once done, they said goodbye to Mrs. Ichijouji, who asked them to visit again soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll probably see us again before this investigation is over,” Ken said. “Who knows what sort of crazy directions we’ll get pulled in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take this, Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Mrs. Ichijouji smiled, handing them each a small charm. “Hopefully, it’ll keep you two safe. I don’t want to hear about either of you getting in trouble again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke grinned. “Thanks, ma’am. Between Osamu and these, I’m sure we’ll be just fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laid a hand on her cheek, expression conflicted. “I’m afraid I only have these two. I wish I had more so all of you could be protected…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Mama, we’ll be with them. They’ve actually gone to a shrine, maybe we can call them and suggest they get their own charms.” Ken reassured her with a sweet smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “I think that’s for the best. Even if you can look after yourselves, it’d do a lot to put my mind at ease.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a smile and a wave, they left the apartment and headed for the stairwell. Ken turned to Osamu as they walked. “You’re going to come with us? Even though you can’t leave…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu glided along beside them, hand to his chin. “Well, I’d rather be sure things turn out okay than--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He cut off as a sudden blast of frigid air washed over the three of them. Ken shuddered violently and stopped in his tracks, Daisuke freezing beside him and hugging himself. Immediately, Osamu was tense, looking around with a serious expression. Ken glanced up and saw they were near the stairwell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He also saw the inky blackness that shot up to the next floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not good…!” he hissed, stumbling back and rubbing his arms. The hairs wouldn’t lay down and his mind was screaming at him to run. He exhaled, his breath coming out in a visible puff despite it being late May.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke was already on the phone. “Yo, Iori, do us a solid and check the cams, will ya?” After a moment, he continued. “Yeah, we just got a really bad chill, thought we saw something in the stairwell… Yeah, we’re on our way back… Okay, let us know soon.” With that, he hung up and stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. “I dunno ‘bout you guys, but I’m totally not cool with going into that stairwell right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Agreed,” Ken muttered, teeth chattering. Daisuke wrapped him up in a hug and he sighed, snuggling close and gripping the hem of Daisuke’s t-shirt. Osamu checked the stairwell while they waited for Iori to call back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t look like it stuck around…” he surmised, returning to their side. He smiled sweetly when he saw them cuddling but otherwise didn’t comment. Another minute later, Daisuke’s phone started ringing and he gently detangled himself to pull it from his pocket. Ken laid his head on Daisuke’s other shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo, you find anything?” After a moment, he swallowed and glanced to the stairwell again. “‘Come back, you should see this’? Uh, that isn’t ominous at all... We’re on our way but we’re taking the lift. See ya in a tick.” He hung up and sighed. “As much as I hate to waste the electricity for three floors, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right.” Ken replied, pulling back and taking Daisuke’s hand. “Let’s go then. We’ll explain what we see on the tapes to you later, Nii-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu nodded. “Gotcha. I’ll meet you down there, just to make sure you get out safely.” With that, he phased through the floor. Not wanting to waste another second, Ken tugged Daisuke’s hand and they headed for the lift at the other end of the hall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And if they walked a little faster than usual, neither of them made a comment.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. An Ominous Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the events of the previous evening, Ken, Daisuke and Iori examine the evidence they'd gathered.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I managed to write a little more so I'm gonna post again! Sadly, it's slow going so idk when I'll be able to post again orz</p>
<p>Enjoy~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ken gave a relieved sigh as Daisuke slid the van door shut. Finally, that oppressive chill had lifted. Of course, his relief couldn’t last.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you two okay?” Iori asked, concern etched into his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“For now,” Daisuke muttered, grimacing when Ken shot him a look. “What did you find?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iori turned back to face the screens, chin in his hand as he examined the footage. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing at first. Look here.” He shuffled the chair over a little so they could all gather around the monitors. Daisuke reached past to set the footage to a slow speed and hit play. Ken watched as he and Daisuke walked down the corridor. As they neared the stairs, however, a sudden anomaly appeared. Unlike most, which tended to appear as lights, this was a pitch-black fog, like a shadow. Ken saw it shift further until it resembled a figure, humanoid but disfigured, its arms so long that they grazed the ground. It had horns and wings… could it actually be a demon? He shuddered and clung to Daisuke’s hand when the other wrapped an arm around his waist. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They watched as both Ken and Daisuke suddenly stopped, visibly shivered, and turned to face the stairwell. In the same moment, the fog-shadow zipped away up the stairs and out of sight. Iori switched to another angle and they saw the fog disappear as quickly as it appeared, the instant it reached the next floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Guess it was a good thing Osamu nii-san was with us.” Ken murmured. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why it looked like you were talking to thin air?” Iori asked, humming when Ken nodded. “I wonder why he didn’t show on the camera like the evil spirit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe it was a warning,” Daisuke mused. “Like, ‘you haven’t got rid of me yet, don’t let your guard down’, y’know? Obviously, Osamu doesn’t need to do something like that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm, makes sense,” Iori said. “There was always the possibility that it had just fled to regain its strength after Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> forced it out of Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“About that,” Ken cut in. “We’re not actually sure it was Osamu nii-san who broke its control over Daisuke. Daisuke described a sound like someone snapping their fingers, but my brother never did that. We thought it may have been a spell being cast or even just the sound of the control breaking itself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iori frowned. “A spell? You think someone could’ve been behind that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t know for certain. I think we should wait for the others to get back, maybe the priest they bring will have an idea.” Ken sighed. “Until then, how is the analysis going?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Since Takeru-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> left, I haven’t had much luck with the video. I’ve been reading through the history and hoping I find something new. Oh, I also helped Takeru-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> set up some cameras so Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> can concentrate on examining the videos.” Iori pointed them out, Daisuke grinning and waggling his fingers cheekily at each one. Ken rolled his eyes, lips twitching.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can scrub through the footage now, you guys can deal with the EVPs.” Daisuke stretched and cracked his fingers, shaking his hands with an air of excitement. Ken smiled, a pang of fondness rippling through him, before he turned back to the table and the equipment laid out there. He transferred the files from the voice recorders they’d carried onto a laptop. Once that was done, he handed the laptop off to Iori and wrote up labels for each recorder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He put them aside and leaned over to look at the laptop screen. “Anything interesting so far?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A few odd noises, potential growls or whispers. Not much else thou-” He suddenly flinched, ripping the headphones away from his ears with a sharp gasp. Ken’s eyes widened in response. Face ashen, Iori shakily and wordlessly handed him the headphones. Cautiously, Ken placed them over his ears. Iori rewound the file a little and hit play. At first, there wasn’t much. Daisuke’s muffled voice, soft and tender. The sound of something rubbing the microphone, Ken sighing. Then, a deep, dark chuckle, followed by Ken gasping. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Who are you?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing, Ken paused the file and slowly removed the headphones. “And that’s the only clear EVP so far?” Iori nodded mutely. Ken put the headphones down and ran a hand through his hair, lip between his teeth. That evil spirit, was it following them? Or had it only stumbled upon them and taken advantage of their being alone?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Y’know,” Daisuke’s voice cut through his racing thoughts. “It’s always really weird seeing the effects spirits can have, but this one’s on a whole ‘nother level.” Ken stood and shuffled over to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Daisuke absently reached up and gripped it as the image of his possession played on the screen. “Do you see any, like, shadow or fog?” He rewound the tape and played it again. Ken frowned as he focused. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...It’s hard to tell. I think there may be something near the ceiling but it’s so dark…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daisuke leaned forward and squinted. Navigating the editor, he played around with the contrast and other settings. The shadows became clearer and they both gasped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There, reaching down through the ceiling, were two long, dark arms.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like what was in the stairwell.” Daisuke murmured, exchanging a glance with Ken. Ken nodded - they were definitely the same. Not only were they unnaturally long, he could see the bandage-like wrappings and leather belts on them as well as one finger being a different colour from the rest. There was no mistake, this was the same spirit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ken reached forward and hit play, watching as the spirit emerged slowly from above. On the screen, Daisuke reached out and brushed his hand on Ken’s, and the demon grinned as it closed its hands around Daisuke’s neck. Daisuke stiffened and Ken jolted, ripping his hand from Daisuke’s and staggering back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daisuke paused it here. “You guys looked like you’d caught something big on the voice recording…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ken nodded. “It actually matches perfectly with this section of video. We heard this really evil laugh.” Daisuke’s eyes widened and he reached up to run a hand through his hair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Damn.” He hissed. “Why do I get the feeling this is only just the beginning?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-----------------------</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sun was just beginning to set when Hikari, Takeru and Miyako returned. They were alone but seemed in high spirits.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Welcome back,” Daisuke greeted tiredly, putting down his fourth cup of iced coffee. “How’d it go?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a huge success!” Miyako cheered. “A priest agreed to come and perform an exorcism on our last day of filming and the company agreed to pay for his services.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s great news.” Ken smiled. “Especially with what we caught on tape.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately, the air grew sombre. “Show us.” Hikari said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They all bundled themselves into the van and sat around the table holding the laptop. Daisuke took a deep drink of his coffee, putting the cup down a little heavier than usual, and started clicking through all of the open tabs. Takeru focused the camera and hit record when Daisuke gave him the signal. Daisuke unplugged the headphones and hit play on the video. They watched closely.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay?” Miyako said with a frown. “What was so special there?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The ceiling,” Hikari murmured.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daisuke nodded. “Yeah, Ken saw it too when we were first reviewing this part.” After rewinding, he opened the editing section and did all the same edits he’d made earlier, then hit play again. The others all gasped at the arms, Hikari physically recoiling while Miyako leaned forward and adjusted her glasses.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No way…” She murmured.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like we were right to assume it’s not a person’s spirit.” Takeru quipped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It could still be,” Ken said. “We know spirits can be twisted by powerful negative emotions. This may be that in action.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not all we got.” Daisuke cut in. He manoeuvred to the voice recording and played it for them. Everyone paled when they heard the laughter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That laughter happened just before Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> was possessed.” Iori said. “We caught some other EVPs, but that was the clearest of them all.” He showed them the rest of the voices and noises and one image of another adult-sized shadow that they couldn’t explain. After discussing the evidence, the group began to plan for tonight’s investigation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate to say this, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t want to go back in there tonight.” Hikari rubbed her arms nervously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, we can’t just pack up and leave at this point,” Takeru muttered. “We made arrangements to lengthen our time here, what would be the point if we backed out now?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“More importantly,” Daisuke added. “The people here still need our help. I don’t wanna leave them here with </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We’ve committed to helping them.” He downed the rest of his coffee and slammed the plastic cup back down. “Let’s get as much evidence as we can, for their sake.” The others nodded and murmured agreements.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But before that,” They all turned to face Ken and he smiled. “I think we should maybe consider getting something to eat. We’ll need our energy and coffee isn’t enough.” He sent Daisuke a pointed look, the other man smiling sheepishly in response. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“By the way,” Takeru started nonchalantly. “How much of our budget have you blown on coffee today, Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Daisuke flinched. “Not that much! The last two I bought with my own money!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ken gave a long-suffering sigh and shook his head. “So, what’s on the menu tonight?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever’s left at the convenience store ‘cause we didn’t go grocery shopping before coming here.” Daisuke said. Everyone groaned, the disappointment palpable - one of the best things about Daisuke being on the team was that he was a whizz in the kitchen. That they weren’t getting something homemade ruined their moods more than any evil spirit or demon ever could.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hopefully, the investigation would go well, at least.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Lingering Shadows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Night two of the group's investigation starts off slow. Ken would rather it had stayed that way.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I felt so bad leaving this un-updated for so long so I'm adding one of my reserve chapters. The next one is the last one I currently have written up tho so idk if I'll be updating again soon</p><p>Forgive the terrible title, I'm not exactly on my game orz</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Equipment check!” Miyako declared. She whipped out a well-worn paper and started listing things off. “Voice recorders, check. Regular camera, check. All our static cameras are already set up…” She continued on, her voice becoming a drone in the background. Ken ran his hand over the cover of his old occult book, eyes narrowed in thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>It wasn’t a spell… so it was just to break that demon spirit’s concentration? But then, who did it? No-one else on the team was around and Osamu nii-san said he didn’t do it. Another spirit? But who--</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He flinched at the sudden hand on his shoulder. “Yo, Ken, are you okay?” Daisuke frowned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken considered lying but decided against it. “I’m just trying to think of who could’ve helped us last night. Besides Osamu nii-san, I mean.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We might find out tonight, if the investigation goes well.” Miyako piped up, fiddling with her wire microphone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daisuke hummed. “What’s got you so unsure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s just Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s natural state.” Takeru snarked from the screens. Ken sent him a glare, which he returned with a cheeky peace sign. “Why am I back on screen duty, by the way? It should be Daisuke-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s turn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The spirit seems to be targeting Daisuke, apparently because of his connection with Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>. So we figured it’d be best to have Daisuke around for the investigation.” Miyako said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken whirled on her. “What??”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blinked, laughing awkwardly. “Don’t worry about it! Think of him as like a living trigger object!” She wilted under Ken’s cold gaze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t put Daisuke in danger like that! That thing is already targeting me, we don’t need to-!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, calm down-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! I won’t! Daisuke can’t be put in such danger like that, he could- I can’t-” He was cut off by Daisuke pulling him into a tight hug. His fingers combed Ken’s hair and he hummed softly into his ear. Slowly, the tightness in Ken’s chest and shoulders relaxed and his breath caught. Eyes stinging, he gripped Daisuke’s shirt and buried his face into his shoulder. Daisuke didn’t stop stroking his hair, even as he distantly heard the van door slide closed. Reaching back, Daisuke fiddled with the bodypack attached to Ken’s belt, then did the same with his own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The mics are off now and the others took the cameras. What happened?” He murmured, gently brushing Ken’s fringe back. “Something it said while possessing me scared you real bad, right?” Swallowing thickly, Ken nodded. “What was it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken took a shaky breath and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He whimpered and hid his face back in Daisuke’s shoulder. Daisuke returned to stroking his hair, humming a familiar song. The one that always calmed him. He felt his lips twitching despite himself, heart warming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, he found his words. “It - the demon - it implied that it… caused my brother’s death.” Daisuke stiffened around him but he couldn’t stop the words spilling out. “I-it said… that it would ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>take another soul</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ and that I would ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>suffer another loss</span>
  </em>
  <span>’... How else am I supposed to interpret that? This </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it took my brother from me, caused so much pain to me and my family-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, shhh… I understand.” Daisuke soothed him, cupping his face and softly stroking his cheek. “That’s so horrible… anyone would feel the same. If it’ll help you feel at ease, I’ll stay here and watch the cams. After all, it does seem to target you already, like you said. We don’t need me out there, getting in trouble.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken finally relaxed, smiling slightly. “Thank you for understanding,” he whispered, laying his hand over one of Daisuke’s on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mention it,” he replied. He gently wiped away the tear tracks on Ken’s cheeks and produced a tissue for him to blow his nose. “I’ll let the others know about our decision, you just take a minute to breathe, okay? I’ll fix your mic when you’re ready.” With that, Daisuke slid the door open and stepped out, leaving Ken alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a slow, deep breath in. Knowing Daisuke would be safe was such a weight off his shoulders. Now he could focus on the investigation without worrying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken’s eyes flickered around the dark entrance way, eyes still adjusting to the change in light level. He glanced down at the viewfinder of his handheld camera, using the night vision to orient himself. Beside him, Takeru fiddled with a small device, the screen lit up red and displaying numbers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, we all set?” Miyako asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Almost… there! Ready!” Takeru declared, grinning down at the device before handing it off to Iori. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great! Let’s go over the plan again.” Miyako faced the camera. “We’re gonna split up into two groups, one sensitive each. We decided to send Takeru-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> with Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> since he seems to be getting a lot of attention from the spirits, and Iori will go with them to keep a good sensitive-skeptic balance. I’m gonna go with Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>chan</span>
  </em>
  <span> and be her camerawoman. Each group has a bunch of equipment, like the Mel Meter Takeru-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span> just gave to Iori.” She looked to each member, exchanging nods. “Right. Let’s go!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Miyako-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>, please remember that people live here and are likely sleeping.” Iori chided.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, whoops. Sorry.” She giggled a little, Iori giving a long-suffering sigh. The group made their way up the stairs, careful not to trip in the dark, and separated at the first floor - the girls staying there while the boys continued up. Reaching the fifth floor, Takeru pulled out the Ovulus - a device that held a dictionary of words that spirits could pick from to communicate - and held it out in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If anyone is here, you can use this device to talk to us,” he called out. For a few moments, there was nothing. Then, Ken felt a familiar, friendly chill and smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I mess with him?” Osamu grinned wickedly. His grin morphed into a pout when Ken shook his head minutely. “You’re no fun.” Ken sent him a flat look. “What, lost your voice all of a sudden?” he teased. Ken rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Ken jumped and blinked down at Iori. “Is someone here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, the Ovulus piped up. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Me</span>
  </em>
  <span>’. Ken sighed while the other two blinked down at the device in confusion..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” Takeru asked. “What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Name</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes! What is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken pressed his lips together, suppressing his laughter. After a deep breath, he gave a long, dramatic sigh and decided to put them out of their misery. “Nii-san, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boo, you’re so uptight, Ken,” Osamu whined. Ken couldn’t help but laugh this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, it was Osamu-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, he’s just having a little fun.” Ken chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Was</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ said the Ovulus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh please, Nii-san. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of chances for you to mess around more.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa…” someone breathed, gaining their attention. At some point, Takeru had pulled out the SLS camera - which mapped figures using a grid of infrared dots - and pointed it towards him and Osamu. He was pointing his camera at the SLS screen. “I can see him on this. Hello!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Osamu blinked, then waved with a shy smile. While Takeru blabbered excitedly about the data, Osamu glanced at Ken and muttered, “How much can they see?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a stick figure,” he reassured him. His brother relaxed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he wouldn’t know if I just… flipped him off?” His cheeky grin returned with a vengeance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t what?” Iori asked. Ken just shook his head with a wry smile, Osamu openly cackling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, I wonder if the voice recorders are catching anything you’re saying…” Ken mused playfully. His brother went silent; if it weren’t for his ghostly pallor, Ken would almost think he were blushing in embarrassment. He smirked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No fair,” Osamu grumbled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you teasing him, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you know, don’t dish it if you can’t take it and all that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I were corporeal, you’d be in so much shit,” Osamu said sourly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken’s smile turned a little sad. “I wish that were the case.” Osamu went quiet, expression pained. Ken’s voice was quiet when he spoke again. “I miss you so much, nii-san.” He ignored the others’ looks; he didn’t need to be pitied, he just wanted some time with his big brother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His walkie talkie crackled to life. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry to interrupt.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Daisuke’s voice was soft beneath the static.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken pulled it from his belt. “What’s up, Daisuke?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Got some movement on you guys’ floor, towards the other end from the stairwell. Can’t confirm if it’s supernatural or some animal.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An animal? On the fifth floor?” Iori raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You never know! I’d still rather confirm it.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s true,” Takeru agreed. He adjusted the SLS camera, pointing it down the hallway. “Let’s check it out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Just be careful, yeah?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled. “Of course.” With that, the group made their way towards where Daisuke had set up the static camera. Takeru focused on the SLS while Iori fiddled with the Spirit Box.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we even use this here?” He muttered with a frown. “It’s such a loud piece of equipment and people are sleeping…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe save it for the lower floors,” Ken suggested. “Or… no, never mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You better not have been thinking about going to the roof with it!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Daisuke’s voice startled him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… Maybe? I know that’s a bad idea, that’s why I didn’t actually suggest it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Save the arguments for later, we have investigating to do!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Miyako’s voice came from the radio this time. Ken could almost hear Daisuke pouting, despite his lack of response. Judging by their snickers, so could the others.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reached the other end of the hall, Takeru panning both of the cameras across the area. He hummed. “I’m not picking anything up… Ken? Are you sensing anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmph, not really?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh? You’re not usually so unsure, Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Iori said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… it’s weird. It’s like… there’s something on the edge of my senses but it’s purposely trying not to be noticed.” He rubbed his temples, head aching. “It’s so confusing… maybe Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be better for this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her sensitivity isn’t that much stronger than yours, I doubt it’d make that much difference.” Takeru pointed out. He glanced around in the darkness. “Hello? Is there someone here?” He called out, keeping his voice a little quiet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We aren’t here to hurt you,” Ken added. “We just want to find out what’s happening around here, and who may be around.” For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, Ken gasped and clutched his head. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>These energies… they’re strong.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ He was vaguely aware of Iori grabbing his shoulder but he needed to focus. “That’s it… please, show yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken’s head whipped up, eyes snapping to this new voice. Osamu was standing in front of him protectively, facing this new spirit - a man, maybe in his late twenties, wearing overalls, a high-visibility vest and a hard hat. He was clearly nervous, his posture oozing distrust, looking like he’d bolt in a second’s notice. Ken’s breath caught.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re… the builder. Yamamoto Hideo” he murmured. Takeru and Iori gasped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You… know me?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kind of? We were researching this building and your name came up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then you know what happened to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only what was reported in the papers, and the rumours.” Ken tilted his head a little, trying to think through his pounding headache. “If we could hear your side, if you’re willing to tell it…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not willing,” the builder said gruffly. Ken raised his hands in surrender, placating him, and he slowly calmed. “You shouldn’t be here. There’s evil in this place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re quite aware.” Osamu quipped. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at him, assessing him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the other spirit from the roof.” He murmured, eyes widening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait… </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> spirit?” Ken said sharply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ken-</span>
  <em>
    <span>kun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, what’s going on?” Takeru interrupted. “We’re only hearing your side.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken waved them off, expression serious. “You were there last night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yamamoto nodded slowly. “Your friend got possessed by the evil. Is he alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ken smiled, touched. “Yes, he’s fine. Thank you for your concern.” He bowed deeply. “We decided it would be best if he stayed outside tonight for his safety.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. You all should stay away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can’t. Not while the people living here are in danger.” Ken said firmly. He was aware of the others muttering behind him but ignored them again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yamamoto turned to Osamu now. “You can protect them. Why not tell them to stay away?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They wouldn’t listen to me anyway. Only three of them can even hear me and they’re all very stubborn, from what I’ve seen. They’re also incredibly caring and willing to do what’s necessary, or even unnecessary, to protect others.” Here, he turned to Ken and smiled, patting his arm gently. “I’m proud to support them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After looking over them, the builder sighed. “Nothing I say will convince you, then. In that case-” He bristled abruptly and Ken felt a sudden sharp cold. Head snapping up, he saw the dark fog and gasped, breath visible from the cold. Slowly, the fog shifted into a humanoid figure, dressed head-to-toe in black with leathery wings and freakishly long arms. It towered over them, gazing with cold red eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sooo, </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>you’re</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> the one who ruined my plan last night.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Its voice felt like icy fingers running up Ken’s spine, sending a violent shiver through him. Osamu moved, standing in front of Ken protectively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the heck… why is it so cold?” Takeru whispered. Ken glanced back at the other two, vision swimming. Takeru was shivering so badly that he could barely hold the equipment straight and Iori was standing slightly behind him, face pale and eyes wide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hmm… who should I pick this time?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” The demon smirked, baring its pointed teeth. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Or maybe… I should get rid of the ‘</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>distractions</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>’.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Yamamoto and Osamu stiffened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay away from my friends.” Osamu snapped, glaring at the demon. “I’m not going anywhere, not while </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> skulking around.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The demon threw its head back and cackled, loud and sharp and overwhelming. Ken gripped his head, vision turning spotty and ears ringing. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t pass out here… Not with this thing here…</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ Squinting, he looked up. Yamamoto was nowhere to be seen, Osamu was almost-holding Ken’s shoulders - Ken vaguely noted that he’d fallen to his knees at some point - and looking back at the evil spirit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Well… what about your little female friends? All alone, split off from security. You can’t be in two places at once, little boy.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shakily, Ken reached back and pulled his radio from his belt. Holding it to his face, he managed to press in the button. “Hikari-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Miyako-</span>
  <em>
    <span>san</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You have… to leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ken-kun? What’s wrong?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ Miyako’s voice filtered through the static in his ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a final act of defiance, he lifted his head and met the demon’s gaze. “It’s back. Threatening to go after you. We have Osamu nii-san, you have to leave. Please!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snarling, the demon reached for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“HEY!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was like a bubble bursting, the oppressive atmosphere lifting. Ken glanced up, hope blooming even as his vision and consciousness faded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There, between the group and the stairwell, stood Daisuke.</span>
</p>
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